STATE LICENSE
RequiredDivision of Pesticide Control — NH Depart…
RSA 430:33, I bars anyone from commercial application of pesticides without a certificate of registration from the Division of Pesticide Control in the Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food; applying pesticides on another's property for consideration makes you a commercial applicator for hire (RSA 430:29, VII). The statute sets a $60 annual registration fee and a $15 exam fee per category (RSA 430:33, I; 430:34, III, as amended 2025). Structural pest control falls in category F — F1 general structural, F3 termites and wood-destroying insects, F4 fumigation, F2 mosquito and black fly (Pes 302.01).
Applicators for hire must prove $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate bodily injury and $1,000,000 property damage coverage, with the Division named as certificate holder (Pes 302.03), and every for-hire business must hold its own registration with a supervisory license holder (Pes 307.01–307.02). Supervisory certificates need three years at the operational level or equivalent education (Pes 303.01). Recertification takes 12 credits per category over five years, capped at 48 (Pes 402.01(o)). State law occupies the field — towns cannot regulate pesticide use (RSA 430:49).
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Pesticide regulation is preempted: RSA 430:49 occupies the whole field of pesticide registration, sale, transportation, and use, and no later local ordinance or regulation may regulate it (ordinances in effect when the section took effect in 1993 are grandfathered). Towns may still require ordinary business permits; structural treatment tied to construction may also need a building permit.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every New Hampshire county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of October 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
RSA 430:33–34 (amended effective July 1, 2025) set $60 registration and $15 exam fees; the Division's fee page has listed lower amounts.
One member of each crew operating equipment must be registered, and applications must be by or under direct supervision of an examined individual (RSA 430:34, IV).
RSA 430:49 occupies the whole field of pesticide registration, sale, transportation, and use, voiding later local pesticide ordinances.
A practical sequence for a new pest control contractor in New Hampshire. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
Violating RSA 430, Board rules, or orders, falsifying records, or obtaining a certificate by misrepresentation.
Collected in a civil action by the attorney general.
Levied by the Division for any violation of the subdivision, rules, or orders.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
| County · City | Permit office | Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough County Manchester (consolidated gov.) | City of Manchester Planning and Community Development Department — Building Regulations ↗ | — |
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Fee conflict: the Division's fee page (search excerpt) lists a $20 commercial license and $5 exam fee, while RSA 430:33, I and 430:34, III as amended by 2025, 141:158–159 set $60 and $15 — the statute is followed · Business (for-hire) registration fee amount, if any — Pes 307 sets the requirement but no fee was found · Division agency pages (agriculture.nh.gov) returned HTTP 403 to automated retrieval; exam scheduling and current forms were not reviewed · Whether wood-destroying-insect inspections for real estate transfers require a separate credential in New Hampshire
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.